Global InformationMedStar Capitals Iceplex information
 MedStar Capitals Iceplex in August 2007 | |
 | |
| Former names | Kettler Capitals Iceplex Ballston Ice Arena (name during planning and construction) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ballston, Virginia, U.S. |
| Public transit | Washington Metro   at Ballston–MU station |
| Owner | Monumental Sports & Entertainment |
| Capacity | 1,200 |
| Surface | 200' x 85' (Rinks 1 and 2) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | November 2006 |
| Construction cost | $42.8 million |
| Architect | William R. Drury |
| Tenants | |
| Washington Capitals (NHL, practice facility) Washington Jr. Nationals (AJHL) (2007–2010) Georgetown Hoyas (ACHA) George Washington Colonials (ACHA) NOVA Cool Cats special hockey team DC Sled Sharks | |
MedStar Capitals Iceplex is the practice arena of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League. The highest ice rink above street-level in the United States, it is located on the eighth floor atop the parking garage adjoining the Ballston Quarter in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia.[1]
Opened in 2006, the 137,000-square-foot (12,700 m2) facility, which is owned by Capitals owning entity Monumental Sports & Entertainment, houses two full-NHL-sized ice rinks with seating for 1,200, a training center, a proshop, and offices for staff of both the Capitals and the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
The Capitals spend about 300 hours annually practicing at the arena, which has 12,000 hours of ice time available annually. The Iceplex also serves as the home ice for the club teams of Georgetown University and George Washington University. The Iceplex also runs an adult league for amateur hockey players. It is regularly available for recreational use, and hosts "Learn to Skate" camps and lessons throughout the year.[1][2]
The Iceplex is also home to the NOVA Cool Cats special hockey team, which practices and has home games at the IcePlex, and the DC Sled Sharks, a sledge hockey team for physically disabled youths 18 and under, which plays in the Delaware Valley Sled Hockey League.[3][4]
The Iceplex served as the initial inspiration for the building of LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York by the Buffalo Sabres and Terrence Pegula. LECOM Harborcenter serves a similar purpose to the IcePlex.[5]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
rinkwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Here's what's in store at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington this winter:". Connection Newspapers. January 24, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ "NOVA Cool Cats Special Hockey, Inc". www.novacoolcats.org.
- ^ "Delaware Valley Hockey League (DVHL) - Home Page - Pointstreak Stats". dvhlsled.stats.pointstreak.com.
- ^ "HARBORCENTER-GroundUp.pdf" (PDF). HarborCenter.com. October 2014. p. 4. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
Benson led a group of Sabres officials to Washington, DC to view the Capitals practice facility, which is built on top of a parking garage, and form their idea.